Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among industrial employees in a modern industrial region in Beijing, China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Growing industrialization of China exposes its labor population to the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of MSDs in a modern industrial region of Beijing.@*METHODS@#A cross-sectional study included 1415 employees in six industrial companies was conducted between January 2018 and May 2018 in Fangshan district, Beijng, China. Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to collect the information about MSDs. Demographic factors, lifestyle factors, health and medical factors, and work-related factors were collected as independent variables. Descriptive statistics, the chi-squared (χ) test, and binary logistic regression analysis were used to analyze data.@*RESULTS@#Among 1415 participants, 498 reported MSDs. The regions involved were the neck (25.16%), shoulders (17.17%), and upper back (13.29%). There was a significant statistical difference between frontline industrial workers and other staff in the prevalence of self-reported symptoms involving the shoulders (χ = 4.33, P = 0.037), wrists and hands (χ = 8.90, P = 0.003), and ankles and feet (χ = 12.88, P < 0.001). Increased age (P = 0.005, OR = 1.63; P = 0.001, OR = 2.33), a high or a low salary (P < 0.001, OR = 0.49; P < 0.001, OR = 0.30), night-shift (P = 0.027, OR = 1.46), two-week-history of illness and treatment (P = 0.004, OR = 5.60; P = 0.013, OR = 4.19), concurrent chronic diseases (P = 0.001, OR = 3.45; P = 0.092, OR = 7.81), limited access to health information (P = 0.004, OR = 0.49), and negative attitude towards seeking healthcare (P = 0.010, OR = 1.77; P = 0.009, OR = 2.75) were associated with MSDs in frontline workers. Female gender (P < 0.001, OR = 2.30), high education (P = 0.001, OR = 1.96), no exercises (P = 0.027, OR = 0.59), night-shift (P = 0.017, OR = 1.98), concurrent chronic diseases (P = 0.002, OR = 3.73; P = 0.020, OR = 13.42), limited access to health information (P = 0.013, OR = 0.53), far distance to medical institution (P = 0.009, OR = 1.83), and negative propensity (P = 0.009, OR = 1.94; P = 0.014, OR = 2.74) were associated with MSDs in other staffs.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The prevalence of MSDs among industrial employees has changed. Frontline workers had different prevalence and risk factors for MSDs compared with other employees. Negative propensity to healthcare, limited ways to obtain health knowledge, and concomitant chronic diseases were associated with MSDs. Surprisingly, highly educated and high-income employees had a higher risk of MSDs.

Lovastatin inhibits cell proliferation and migration in cholangiocarcinoma cell line QBC939 / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of lovastatin,a widely used antilipemic agent,on cell proliferation,migration and apoptosis in human cholangiocarcinoma cell line QBC939 and explore its possible mechanism.Method After QBC939 cells were either incubated with lovastatin alone or without it as a control,the methylthiazolyl tetrazolium assay (MTT) assay was used to detect cell proliferation at the 24 h,48 h and 72 h mark; flow cytometry (FCM) measured apoptosis at 48 h;scratch assay was used to determine cell migration at 48h; RT-PCR and Western blot detected the expression of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6),protein kinase (PKB/Akt),vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) mRNA and Akt protein at 48 h.Results Lovastatin significantly inhibited cell proliferation in a dose and time dependent manner (24 h,48 h and 72 h:F=173.05,159.66,577.87 respectively,all P＜0.01).After lovastatin treatment,apoptosis induction increased (t =15.28,P＜ 0.01 ) as did early apoptosis (t =13.24,P＜0.01),while the average migration velocity was reduced (24 h and 48 h:t=6.21,5.95,respectively,all P＜0.01).The Akt protein expression and mRNA expression of IL-6,Akt,VEGF,and MMP-9 were down-regulated after lovastatin treatment.Conclusions Lovastatin can inhibit cell proliferation,migration and promote apoptosis in human cholangiocarcinoma cell line QBC939.The mechanisms of suppression may be associated with down-regulation of IL-6,Akt,VEGF and MMP-9 expression.